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Fratres Megatherii
"Unbowed, Unmoved." The Fratres Megatherii is a thinly spread, isolationist tribe that inhabits the large forests of the Isle of Dair. They share the island with the Inisfall Confederacy. Clear borders were drawn between them after the Inisfall-Megatherii War. They have small villages throughout the forest, usually numbering a few hundred people and sloths, the only exception being their capital, Hermit's Glade, with as many as a thousand total men and sloths. The Slothriders are largely unknown to other nations, and rarely interact with outsiders beyond small scale bartering for supplies. Culture The culture of the Slothriders is centered upon the veneration of their prized giant sloths, which hold a sacred position in their society. Sloths are legally protected, and the killing of a greater sloth is punishable by exile or even death. The Fratres Megatherii are generally non-confrontational in nature, fighting fiercely when their lives or their culture is at stake, and engaging in devastating guerrilla warfare when their land is invaded. The Slothriders are led by a circle of thirteen Elders: formerly twelve chosen sloth breeders and the Hermit himself. In more recent centuries, however, the Hermit has elected to fill the circle with his own offspring. Elders are chosen for life and can only be deposed by the Hermit. Whenever an Elder dies, the Hermit appoints his favored child to the vacated position. Elders oversee nearby villages and enforce the tribe's laws and customs. Trade with outsiders and the exchange of greater sloths between tribesmen must be approved of by an Elder. The Hermit's direct descendants are entirely dependent upon their ancestor's favor; they can be made members of government, or summarily executed at the Hermit's request. The most intelligent descendants, and the most stringent conformers to the Hermit's ideologies are put into positions of power, while most others live as average citizens of the Therian Nation. Beneath the Elders are the sloth breeders, citizens given control of a family of sloths by the Hermit. Sloth breeders are respected members of society whose opinions are greatly valued, though they hold no direct power over the rest of the tribe. Below sloth breeders are normal villagers, such as farmers, lumberjacks, smiths and craftsmen. Everyday villagers hold little sway over the Circle of Elders, and are generally at the disposal of the Hermit. The Slothriders' system of taws is highly simplistic; any offense that doesn't mandate reparations (customarily payed in steel or sloth fur) is usually punished by reeducation, exile, or in rare cases, death. Citizens of the Therian Nation are taught from birth to be collectivists, intended to concern themselves primarily with assisting the state and each other. The philosophy proves effective insofar as people caring about their neighbors, however it generally proved unsuccessful in giving people an interest in assisting the Circle itself, in part due to Its nebulous nature. This apathy toward leadership was addressed when the Hermit assigned Circle Elders to directly oversee favored settlements, giving them a direct line to their leadership and a much more tangible interest in the garnering the favor of their government. Citizens of the Fratres Megatherii widely see view the presence of Elders as a blessing, as they are generally accompanied by an increase in labor allocation and resources to their area. Citizenship Therian citzens who do not explicitly reject Circle support are entirely beholden to the needs and interests of the Circle; their labor, living space, food, and interaction with the outside world are completely under Circle control. Citizens live within villages established by the Circle, and are assigned jobs based upon their aptitude and the demand of the nation as a whole. The population of each newly settled village is picked from roughly a dozen other spread out villages in order to promote genetic diversity. Once settled and employed in their approved-of position, citizens are allowed to interact with their fellows in any way permissible by custom (no murder, rape, theft, etc.). Any sexuality is permissible except for bestiality (especially sloths) and pedophilia, (as this is considered mentally damaging to the future pillars of society), and rape. A freedom is only revoked when repopulation is necessary. Descendants of the first settlers are not generally granted the same freedoms, as when a citizen comes of age, their labor and genetics become commodities, and they are often relocated to villages in need of workers or diversity, if not to entirely new settlements as their ancestors were. Citizens who reject the philosophy of the Hermit are made to forego any aid from citizens or the Circle unless they offer due compensation for services rendered. They are colloquially referred to as Inis-Therian: official citizens of the Fratres Megatherii who choose a more Inisfall-esque lifestyle. Some Inis-Therians are successful traders and communicators with Inisfall; others are simply non-conformers to the established philosophy, who generally either break down and submit to reeducation, or stand proud and starve to death. Prospective outsider citizens must ask for approval directly from an Elder, and, upon approval, are immediately subject to the laws and customs of the Fratres Megatherii, and are sumarily relocated to the village of Empathy, an internment and reeducation camp for potential citizens and non-conformers who wish to regain the support of the Therian Nation. Hermit's Glade The capital of the Fratres Megatherii is the Hermit's Glade, a location unknown to almost anyone outside of the nation (as are most locations not on the border). It is where the Circle meets annually to review the situation of the nation, and to organize larger-scale labor relocation and resettlement. The capital is one of the few locations within the Fratres Megatherii that can be described as a city by anyone's definition. The city was formerly known for tree-integrated architecture, but since the Megatherii population explosion, has changed to more closely resemble a conventional city, complete with paved roads and stone buildings. The only two constructs that have remained unchanged throughout the city's history are The Hermit's Lodge, and the statue of Yahrm the great sloth, once long ago a normal wooden statue, now almost petrified with age and maintained with religious diligence. Empathy Empathy is the name of the settlement-turned-internment camp to which future citizens and returning non-conformers are sent for reeducation and indoctrination into the Hermit's philosophy. (Everyone goes there voluntarily, but aren't always kept there that way.) There, people undergo rigorous training in the Therian language, worldview, and useful skills. The participants are given a mind-altering substance known as Yahrm's blood, and are rigorously indoctrinated into the Therian belief system, until they are believed to be functional, conforming citizens of the Fratres Megatherii. There are rumors of Therians specifically placed within the reeducation program to sniff out deception among potential citizens. Economy The Slothriders lack a dedicated currency and instead rely entirely upon barter (or occasionally Inisfalli currency), exchanging steel, fur, meat, corn, services, and the occasional sloth between approved tribe members. Trade with the outside is done at the local Elder's discretion, though the exchange of a sloth with an outsider is forbidden under any circumstances. The primary food sources of the tribe are meat from lesser sloths and corn grown in village clearings. Metalworking is a very important part of the tribe's prosperity, as Fratres Megatherii possess an exceptional knowledge of metallurgy relative to their overall technological advancement. The tribe has metal tools, weapons, and armor, yet lacks locally produced textiles, and a national currency. Citizens of the Therian Nation are assigned jobs based upon their aptitude, and the needs of the state. If a citizen underproduces without any justification, they may be subject to a trial and forced to give reparations in goods or labor. Citizens are provided with food, shelter, and healthcare, but must work for the state in order to keep them. Any citizens who refuse to work under the Circle have all provided materials revoked, and may not be assisted with food, shelter, or first aid without compensating the individual(s) responsible with acceptable goods or currency (i. e. no good Samaritan "help you for a broken stick" mindset). Sloths The most important part of Fratres Megatherii culture is of course, the sloths. These sloths eat a diet primarily consisting of fruit, leaves, and certain types of tree bark. Giant sloths are used for many different purposes, though they can generally be divided into three groups: lesser sloths, labor sloths, and battle sloths '''(both classified as greater sloths). '''There are 26 great sloth bloodlines in existence, most with millennia-long pedigrees, and all with claims of lineage to Yahrm, the greatest great sloth. These bloodlines are entrusted by the Hermit to his most trusted aides and descendants. The most common variety of sloth, lesser sloths are the smallest and weakest of their kind, at about three meters high when upright. They are generally kept for use as typical livestock, being fed surplus corn and providing the tribe with meat and furs. Labor sloths are bred for strength and temperament, generally possessing immense physical power and a peaceful demeanor. The main purpose of labor sloths is to act as pack animals, carrying large quantities of ore and wood across long distances. Labor sloths are also used to plow fields and fell trees. By far the most imposing of the sloths, the battle sloths are a sight to behold. Standing at over four meters tall with human forearm sized claws, and specifically bred for tenacity and power, battle sloths stand out as true behemoths among rank-and-file soldiers. Seldom seen by outsiders, they are most often adorned with metal claw blades, armor, and a saddle. Individual sloths have been witnessed cutting down dozens of soldiers and even smashing down small buildings. Battle sloths are extremely dangerous, as they possess just enough intelligence to be directed by a rider, and enough savagery to pose a significant threat even without one. The inherently strong hide of the giant sloths is reinforced to the point of serving as a secondary layer of armor beneath the steel plate. The battle sloths are viewed by Therians as the quintessential emblems of state power, and are viewed by outsiders as brutal, armored killing machines with less compassion than an angry Goran. The sloths came to be a part of the Fratres Megatherii alongside the Hermit as part of the founding myth of the nation: a savage, selfish tribe granted wisdom and power by the Hermit and his primeval great sloth, Yahrm. Yahrm is revered nearly as much as the Hermit himself, given religious significance as the progenitor of all sloth bloodlines, and a founder of the nation. There is a day of national celebration every year held in honor of the sloth patriarch, during which people participate in drunken revelry and debauchery, and give offerings of food to the great sloth bloodlines. Yahrm has a massive, life-sized wooden effigy in Hermit's Glade where people can regularly be seen praying and leaving offerings such as wooden beads, daggers, and anything not containing sloth components. (A father doesn't want pieces of his children as gifts!)